Something Else
by Questiongirl473
Summary: She was only 16 years old. She thought she was only auditioning for a job. That was it, as far as she knew. But Kylie Johnson didn't know that Oswald Cobblepot would be the one to change her life forever. (RATING MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE)
1. Chapter 1

Something Else

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing of Gotham, or any of the Batman franchise. I only own my OC.**

Chapter 1

Oswald Cobblepot turned to see a knock at the window of Fish's club. It had been raining for hours on end and he saw a figure outside. The person was small, just a few inches smaller than him; face covered by a hood with lace ties at the end of it and lace pockets on the front. They wore denim shorts with leggings on under and black boots with faded sparkles on the heel and top. He went over to the door and opened it to see the figure walking towards him warily. He held the door open for them and said, "Didn't you see the door?"

The figure shook their head and replied in a small voice, "The sign light was out and I couldn't tell if it was open."

He nodded and they both went into the club. The figure pulled the hood off and Oswald could see the person's face. It was a young girl, about 16 or 17, with hair a few shades lighter than his own, and dark blue eyes. She was pale to say the least and had a few dark circles under her eyes. No makeup was seen on her face as she turned to him, "Is Fish Mooney here?"

"May I ask why," he asked as he looked her up and down. She was far too young to be at a place like this. Most children her age would be cramming for the next test at this hour. But something told him that she knew what she was doing, that she knew a bit of the hardships of the city of Gotham. Not everyone in this city was innocent, not even a child like her. She glanced at the stage then back to him, blue connecting to ice as they looked at each other, "I heard there were auditions for a singer. Is she here, because I can come back later."

"She is here. Miss Mooney just went to take a call. May I ask, who are you exactly?"

She turned to him, narrowed her eyes, and hesitantly said, "Kylie Johnson. My name is Kylie Johnson. I called earlier and asked if there were auditions. She said yes and that I could come by later."

He nodded just as he heard the heels of Fish Mooney herself clicking down the hallway as she made her way towards the two. She smiled as she sat down in front of them in the chairs that were set up. She looked at Kylie up and down, "Kylie Johnson, I presume?"

The teen nodded and Oswald sat down a little away from them. He was curious about this girl. She had an air about her that screamed friendly, but was wary of people like him or Fish. He watched as Fish gestured to the stage, "You have the floor, hun."

Kylie walked up to it and jumped up onto the stage and pulled over a microphone. She set it to her height. She cleared her throat as she gestured to the two in the audience, "Good evening. My name is Kylie Johnson and I will be singing "Last Midnight" from _Into the Woods._ "

She quickly got out her mp3 player and loaded up the song. Fish waited patiently and the bird-like man in the back watched with interest. Kylie turned the music on full volume and the instrumental began to play.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!  
It's the last midnight.  
It's the last wish.  
It's the last midnight,  
Soon it will be boom-  
Squish!  
Told a little lie,  
Stole a little gold,  
Broke a little vow,  
Did you?  
Had to get your Prince,  
Has to get your cow,  
Have to get your wish,  
Doesn't matter how-  
Anyway, it doesn't matter now.  
It's the last midnight,  
It's the boom-  
Splat!"

Fish and Oswald's eyes widened at the surprising volume and power that came out of such a small body. She sounded beautiful and just like the witch from the play. Kylie channeled Bernadette Peters as she sang the melody with vibrato that impressed both mobsters. 

"Nothing but a vast midnight.  
Everybody smashed flat!  
Nothing we can do.  
Not exactly true:  
We can always give her the boy...  
No, of course what really matters  
Is the blame,  
Somebody to blame.  
Fine, if that's the thing you enjoy,  
Placing the blame,  
If that's the aim,  
Give me the blame-  
Just give me the boy.  
No?  
You're so nice.  
You're not good,  
You're not bad,  
You're just nice.  
I'm not good,  
I'm not nice,  
I'm just right.  
I'm the Witch.  
You're the world.  
I'm the hitch.  
I'm what no one believes,  
I'm the Witch.  
You're all liars and thieves,  
Like their father,  
Like your sons will be, too-  
Oh, why bother?  
You'll just do what you do.  
It's the last midnight,  
So, goodbye all.  
Coming at you fast, midnight-  
Soon you'll see the sky fall.  
Here, you want a bean?  
Have another bean.  
Beans were made for making you rich!  
Plant them and they soar-  
Here, you want some more?  
Listen to the roar...  
Giants by the score-!  
Oh well, you can blame another witch.  
It's the last midnight.  
It's the last verse.  
Now, before it's past midnight,  
I'm leaving you my last curse:  
I'm leaving you alone.  
You can tend the garden, it's yours.  
Separate and alone,  
Everybody down on all fours.  
All right, mother, when?  
Lost the beans again!  
Punish me the way you tried to do then!  
Give me claws and a hunch  
Just away from this bunch  
And the gloom  
And the doom  
And the boom…..

She slowly walks towards the edge of the stage as she holds out the note and then lowers her face and grin wickedly at the both of them, "Crunch…"

Fish clapped and stood up as Oswald sat there dumbstruck as to how a girl as young as Miss Johnson was could sound like that and have that look in her eyes. A look that someone had only when they knew that they were at their best and brightest. A grin that he had when he saw Butch Gilzean beating traitors of Falcone and Fish. Kylie broke out into a friendly grin as she turned her player off and walked off the stage. Fish stood up and grinned at the young girl, "Didn't know you had that much power in you. Well, I think we might have a place for you here a couple of nights a week, Kylie. I will have to check the schedule and will call you later, but I would love to have you here."

Kylie grinned at the older woman and could see the man she met at the front getting a small pad of paper and handing it to Fish. The woman nodded, "Thank you, Oswald. Now, Kylie, I want you to put your name and number on this, please?"

The teen nodded and quickly wrote down what the woman asked, "Miss Mooney, just in case you can't find me, I go to Gotham High. Just ask for me at the office and they'll call me down. It's no big deal."

The woman nodded and continued to grin down at the girl. She could be useful given her age and friendly demeanor. Oswald, on the other hand, saw something else in the girl. A child that was happy and friendly, but knew what the worst of Gotham could hold. A kindred spirit, he thought. He was exactly like that as a child, though the only difference between the two of them was that she could actually have friends. She could have all she wanted in the world with her talent. She could make boys fall to their knees just with her smile and girls happy just to be her friends. This child had potential that he could use in the future.

Kylie nodded to him after saying goodbye to Fish with a bright smile on her face. She walked out of the club not knowing that just one encounter with the so-called "penguin" would change the course of her life forever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I apologize for not uploading a chapter sooner. I just got into my school play and was gone on vacation most of the summer. I do have a plan for Kylie and Oswald, and I want to see how Season 2 plays out. Again, I apologize.**

 **Disclaimer: Again I own nothing but Kylie Johnson.**

Chapter 2

Kylie lay asleep in her old, squeaky bed. Her alarm goes off and her eyes slowly blink open as she hears the song that goes off every day of her life, "Good Morning Baltimore". She hears the introduction and just as Tracy starts to sing, Kylie slams her hand on the off button.

She slowly gets up and throws her pillow over her face. A moment later, she gets up and gets dressed in a dark blue shirt, black jeans, and faded black boots. She manages to get her dark waves into a braid and hurries downstairs.

Brown bottles litter the floor around two forms on the couch. A man and a woman. Her parents, or at least, they should be. Kylie sighs as she looks at her parents passed out on the couch. They didn't care what she did.

She walks to the kitchen and grabs her granola bar and her backpack. She quickly runs out of her house to the sidewalk. The streets of Gotham were dirty and she nearly slipped on two puddles on her way to school. She manages to get into her first period class with two minutes to spare.

She opens up her textbook as her teacher starts her lecture. Classes go by in a blur until she gets to her music class. She grins happily as she practically skips into the classroom.

Music and choir class had always been her favorite. The sound of the instruments. The way the strings were strummed on guitars, the tapping of the keys on a piano, the smell of new cleaner for CDs. She knew that she was good at singing, but she didn't try to flaunt it like the other girls in her class. She just took the chance to perform when she had it.

She hadn't heard from Fish Mooney for weeks. She had been waiting for a call, a text, a message. Something to tell her whether or not she got the job. So she waited. Waited for her chance to be someone in this city. She had to do something to get somewhere in life. Why not start with working for a somebody?

Besides, she needed the money for college. Kylie skipped a few grades when she was in elementary school and was a senior in high school now. Her musical ability managed to get her through school and further away from her alcoholic parents. Then she would be free from cleaning up their mess. Free to pursue a career.

(First Person POV)

I'm cut out of my thoughts as Mr. Jared, my favorite teacher, tells us to move into the theatre to rehearse our numbers. I run to the door and burst into the one place I can call home.

"Kylie, why don't you take the lead on this," he asks and I nod eagerly as I jump onto the stage. I take the center stage as he brings out the piano and everyone else takes their positions behind me. He nods to me as he plays the intro to the song.

-

(Third Person POV)

Oswald waited patiently in the front office of Gotham High. The school that brought him so much pain and suffering. The name "penguin" carried on here as he became a freshman all those years ago.

He shakes those bad memories away as the receptionist call his alias, "Mr. Humbolt?"

"That would be me."

"Principal O'Shaughennesy will see you now," she replies as she takes another call and he limps into the office. He takes a seat just across from the desk where a salt and pepper haired man sits. He looks up at Oswald and sits back in his chair, "How can I help you, Mr. Humbolt?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to one of the students. Miss Kylie Johnson? She recently came to my boss and I about a job and we didn't have a way of contacting her. She told us that she went to Gotham High and that she could be found here," Oswald didn't exactly lie. Sure Fish had no intention of contacting the girl, but he saw that she had potential. Potential that he could use in the future. All he needed was Kylie and her ambition. Ambition that he shared to be someone in this town. He could read her like an open book and could clearly see the spark that he also had.

She could appeal to people who would otherwise turn away from his strange appearance. She could be the ally that he needed. He had Detective Jim Gordon, of course, but he would never help him. Jim would not help cement the Cobblepot name into the very bricks that keep Gotham stable. No, but Kylie, Kylie would help him along his way to greatness.

"Miss Johnson is in class at the moment, would you like me to take you to her? She should be in the theatre at this moment," the man in the desk replied. Oswald inwardly rolled his eyes. This man was one of the many fools of this city. He hadn't even seen proof that Oswald's story was true, and yet he would take him to one of his students just with a few words. How he even became a principal, he would never know nor care to know.

He nods and the man starts to take him through the hallways of the schools down to the theatre. He could hear a piano playing and was eager to see if his soon-to-be protégé would be performing. The principal opened the doors for him and they both went in.

He could see Kylie standing in the middle of the stage and it looked like she was waiting for her cue. The two men took seats in the back of the theatre so as to not disturb the other performers. He could hear the other students singing with a lot less effort than what Kylie was putting forth. They were all kneeling with their hands positioned almost as if they were praying.

"I ask for wealth  
I ask for fame  
I ask for glory to shine on my name..."

Another girl stopped kneeling and stood up, "I ask for love..."

Everyone else stood up beside her and behind Kylie as she continued to be silent waiting for her cue.

"I can possess...  
I ask for God and His angels to bless  
Me..."

Kylie quickly took a breath and he heard that powerful voice from that night.

"I ask for nothing  
I can get by...  
But I know so many  
Less lucky than I  
Please help my people  
The poor and downtrodden  
I thought we all were  
The children of God  
I thought we all were  
The children of..."

She slowly raises her arms and everyone behind her mimics as the piano comes to a conclusion, "God..."

(Kylie's POV)

I could hear clapping from the back of the theatre and squinted as the lights blinded my vision. Mr. Jared quickly dimmed the spotlights and I could see who was clapping. Principal O'Shaughennesy was there and I could see someone else.

My eyes widened. It was the man from Fish Mooney's club! Why was he here?! Oh wait a minute, I told him and Miss Mooney where I went to school. Stupid! I knew he could have only been there for me. What was his name? Oscar...no. Oswald! That was his name.

I could see the two faculty members talking and Mr. Jared called me over. He turned to me, "Kylie, Principal O'Shaughennesy said that man over there is here to see you."

I nod and walk over to him. I raise an eyebrow as he looks down at me. I was only a few inches shorter than him. He looked as if he was analyzing me. Reading me as if something were wrong. I nod to him as the principal comes over. I look up at him, "Principal O'Shaughennesy, is there someplace private we could talk?"

He smiles and takes us both to an empty classroom. He closes the door and leaves. Oswald and I were alone.

(Third Person POV)

As soon as the door shut, Kylie backed up against the wall, a fearful look in her eyes, "Please don't hurt me!"

Oswald merely raised an eyebrow at the girl. Why would he hurt her? He was here to help her, not to mention help himself along the way. But it was the most logical explanation for his being at her school, supposedly confronting her.

"Why would you think that," he asked. She hesitantly got away from the wall but still remained close to it, "It's what you do right? The mob. You hurt people."

He chuckled a bit. So she did know what went on behind the scenes of clubs and businesses. Clever girl, he thought.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Miss Johnson," he quickly explained. Kylie raised an eyebrow at him. So she wasn't going to be dragged by her feet to God knows where? That was good, she supposed.

"Then why are you here? Is Miss Mooney going to hire me? I haven't heard from her in weeks!"

Oswald inwardly cringed at the mention of his old boss. Soon, he thought. Soon she would pay for what she did to him. He shook his head and he saw the sudden spark of excitement leave her eyes. He would need to keep that spark in her, "Sadly, Kylie, Miss Mooney won't be hiring you. She, unfortunately didn't plan on calling you in the first place. I apologize."

"Oh," was all Kylie could say. She was so sure that she got the job. She sang her heart out on that stage and she loved it. She could practically see the stage right in front of her. The lights, the club. She could hear the audience cheering. But, sadly, those were just the dreams that kept her awake at night leaving her wondering.

Oswald could see that she was disappointed. He could tell that she had so wanted to be up there singing her heart out. The dreams of a child were truly what kept many things going in this world. Kept that small bit of innocence inside it. He broke her out of her thoughts as he said, "But I do have something that could spark your interest though."

She paused and sat down in one of the desks in front of him, "I'm listening."

"I could use a girl like you. You have the same ambition I see in myself. The ambition to be someone in this town. You want to sing onstage, correct?"

"Yeah," she replied as she propped her faded, black boots on the desk in front of her. He merely glanced at them, "I can get you onstage, singing to your hearts content, if you help me, be an assistant, if you will."

"I'll be able to sing at a club, owned by you I presume, if I help you get higher on the criminal food chain," she asked and he nodded. She would get to sing onstage, but getting there by criminal means? No thanks! She wasn't going to put herself in the gutter over a job.

"What makes you think I'll trust you? I know what you do. I know what goes on behind closed doors," she raised an eyebrow. He limped over to her and placed both of his hands on the desk in front of her, "Because you and I, are the same, Kylie."

She laughed sarcastically, "You and I are nothing alike! I'm a sixteen year old girl who loves to sing and you are a man who wants to move up in the criminal world and has most likely killed someone on more than one occasion. That doesn't sound the same to me."

"You and I both have the same ambition. To be someone in this city. You want to sing onstage, I want to take over," he quickly explained. Her face held a small bit of recognition. She raised an eyebrow, "If I do this, get you to the top, can you promise that I won't be the one committing criminal acts?"

"I can promise that you will be onstage, but I can't promise that you won't be in the line of fire-", he is cut off by Kylie standing up. Their faces mere inches from each other.

"I'm saying I don't want to be on the firing end of a gun," she states seriously. He pauses for a moment. She was smarter than he thought. She didn't want to be held responsible for any of his acts. Kylie cuts him out of his thoughts, "Do we have a deal?"

"We do," he quickly said. She'd change her mind about crime soon enough. She stuck out her hand expectantly. He glanced at at it and shook it firmly. The deal was made. A child was now working with the Penguin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hellooo Gothamites! I am so sorry to keep you waiting. I just got out of school and really want to continue this story especially since season 3 is so close to being finished.**

 **Again I own nothing but Kylie**

Chapter 3

Kylie groaned as she started to do the dishes at Bamonte's. She glared at Oswald from across the kitchen as he was doing the same from another sink. This wasn't what she signed up for.

He has even given them both aliases. Him, she could understand, but her? She didn't care if Don Maroni knew her name, Hell she didn't care if any of the mob knew her name. Her parents wouldn't care, she didn't have any friends, and her school would just think that they lost a good student. He told Maroni that his name was Paolo and that she was his niece, Rose. Maroni and the other men in the restaurant had taken to calling her Rosie, much to her dismay.

She finally walked over to him, "This is not what I signed up for!"

"Patience, Kylie. This will be over soon. Don Maroni will promote me very soon," he explained. She narrowed her eyes at him, "How?! You're a bust boy and I'm a cleaning lady!"

"Trust me," he urged her. He was beginning to grow impatient with her. She had a short temper and that made him slightly worried. He'd have to work on getting that under control. Don Maroni walked up to both of them, "Rosie, I need you to go shine the bottles behind the bar."

She nodded and before she could go behind there, Oswald whispered to her, "Sing something. Might help us both get higher up in the ranks."

She looked at him questioningly but still nodded all the same. If it got her onstage, she was willing to do anything. She walked behind the bar and started cleaning the bottles of alcohol,

"I got my ticket for the long way 'round

Two bottle whiskey for the way

And I sure would like some sweet company

And I'm leaving tomorrow

What do you say…."

Don Maroni turned around to see little Rosie singing as she cleaned the bottles. Now that was a voice he wouldn't mind hearing all the time. He glanced at Paolo to see him looking at his niece proud of her. That was a voice any parent would be proud of.

"When I'm gone

When I'm gone…

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

You're gonna miss me by my hair

You're gonna miss me everywhere

Oh…

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone…"

She finished cleaning the bottles and walked over to one of the tables and started cleaning that as well.

"I got my ticket for the long way round

The one with the prettiest of views

It's got mountains

It's got rivers

It's got sights to give you shivers

But it sure would be prettier with you

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

You're gonna miss me by my walk

You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone…"

Maroni walked over to her as he had an idea. She looked up at him nervously, "Yes, sir?"

"You've got quite a voice on you, Rosie."

"Thank you, sir."

"Would you like to sing for our customers? Think of it as a promotion," he smiled down at her as she nodded eagerly, "Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me!"

She looked over at Oswald who had a smirk on his face. This was working out perfectly. She was getting promoted and he would be soon too. She would get her spotlight, and he would be gaining more power.

Later that day, they got out of Bamonte's and she hastily took off her ht before hastily making it to the car. Oswald had asked that she drive given his bad leg, and she didn't mind one bit. Once they got into the car and he had taken off is hat, she started it and began to drive, "So, what's our next move?"

"We are going to stage a robbery and take the money for ourselves," he explained. She raised an eyebrow not turning to him, "Now who is gonna be stupid enough to help us? I mean, a girl with a compelling voice, and a guy with a limp."

"Now, Kylie, this is how you will learn what happens when you work with the best."

"And you think you are the best? For what, the city," she laughed a bit and he scowled at her, "You should remember who you are talking to, Miss Johnson. You could lose the spotlight if you continue that attitude."

The young teen slammed on the breaks and pulled over before turning to him. He stared at her and saw that fire in her dark blue eyes that he saw back at Fish's club. She kept her voice low but still threatening, "Listen here, Cobblepot, the only reason I'm still here is because of a promise. I never break a promise and you better not break yours! I had a scolarship to a college outside the city, but I gave that up for this. Don't make me regret it or a bad leg won't be the only thing you have to worry about. Got it?!"

By the time she was finished, Oswald's eyes were wide. Not with fear, but with awe. How could a 16 year old make a threat such as this? He was barely able to do so and she had manged to do it in just a moment of fury. This was going to be interesting. He spoke after a moment, "Got it."

She turned back to the road and began to drive once again, "I'm taking you to your mom's right?"

"No, actually. I'm staying at a hotel on Kane Avenue," he hadn't wanted to reveal himself just yet. She just shrugged and drove to the street he stated before pulling over in front of the hotel, "Look, it's been a long day and I hate that the men at the restaurant look at me like I'm either A: a child or B: a piece of meat."

He nodded and reassured her, "It won't be that way for long."

She nodded and pulled away from the curb to head back to her own home. Oswald stared at the car as it drove out of sight. Who exactly was this girl?


End file.
